Historically roast and ground coffee has been marketed on supermarket shelves by weight in 16-ounce cans. However, a recent trend in the coffee market has resulted in the demise of the 16-ounce weight standard. This trend emerged in 1988, when major coffee manufacturers began marketing 13-ounce blends. The blends were prepared using "fast roast" technology that resulted in a lower density bean. Thirteen ounces of these lower density blends have nearly the same volume as the traditional 16-ounce blends. As a result they could be marketed in the old 1-pound cans and were priced about 20 cents below the previous 16-ounce list price because they used fewer beans. This down-weighting of coffee in cans has met with widespread acceptance in the industry.
Many recent "fast roast" coffees also have a higher yield of brew solids than previous 16-ounce coffees. These high yield fast roast and ground coffees exhibit improved extraction characteristics during brewing. Thus, they can make as many cups of coffee (or more) per 13 ounces as were previously prepared from 16 ounces.
Fast roasting results in a puffed or somewhat popped bean. Fast roasting of coffee typically occurs in large multistage roasters (e.g., Probat, Thermalo, Jetzone, etc.) with very large heat inputs. These high heat inputs result in the rapid expansion of the roasted bean.
Fast roast processing is not without its shortcomings. The high heat inputs necessary to puff the bean result in a high degree of bean roasting variation within the roaster. Also, tipping and burning of the outer edges of the bean are a major problem.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to produce a reduced density roast coffee bean that is more uniformly roasted.
It is also an object of the present invention to produce roast beans with less bean-to-bean color variation and less color variation within each bean.
Another object of the present invention is to produce roast coffee beans with less tipping and burning of the outer edges of the roasted bean than conventionally fast roasted beans.
These and other objects of the invention will become clear by the disclosure herein.